Multiple sources tell GV Wire that Louis Jamerson, executive director of the Fresno Teachers Association, and other teachers union leaders have been lobbying district officials and community members to support his candidacy for superintendent of Fresno Unified School District.

Jamerson did not respond immediately to a voicemail Wednesday evening seeking comment. He reportedly was tied up in meetings until 8 p.m. Wednesday.

The School Board is preparing to launch a search for the person who will replace longtime superintendent Bob Nelson, who is taking a tenure-track position at Fresno State starting Aug. 1.

Nelson told GV Wire that he heard of Jamerson’s candidacy for the superintendent’s position for the first time on Wednesday.

The decision of who to hire is the express domain of the School Board, he said. “The board has to do its due diligence, talk to the community at large, which is what they’re talking about doing,” Nelson said.

Board Is Responsible for Selection

Trustee Elizabeth Jonasson Rosas, when asked about the report that Jamerson was seeking the district’s top administrative job, responded in a text message that her only comment is “just that it’s a crucial position in our region, not just our city, and recognizing that, it’s important that we have a community informed process of which we are in the beginning stages.”

Board Clerk Valerie Davis said she had not heard directly from teachers union officials about Jamerson’s candidacy but was hearing that the union wants a role in choosing the next superintendent.

“I’ve heard a lot of stuff about them, that they think they got a vote,” she said. “No, the seven of us will decide that.”

According to his LinkedIn profile, Jamerson has been FTA’s executive director since 2014. He has a bachelor’s degree from UCLA. His skills on LinkedIn include community outreach and political campaigns.